Welcome to the Club - A Contribution to Patterns of Warmth 7
by Irene Claire
Summary: A happy one shot in this AU series. A short of Harry Langford meeting C.J. for the first time. A doting Steve and content Danny. Just an easy, happy little read. Probably good to read or be familiar with Patterns #7 but not entirely necessary.


**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Note: **_ :-) Someone mentioned Harry Langford on Instagram or Twitter or something like that and this popped up as a one shot. A short interlude and add on scene in the Patterns of Warmth series, # 7 - "To Love and To Cherish". Posted as its own little one shot; probably best if # 7 was also read first but not entirely necessary I guess. Established relationship and all that, et al. _

_Thanks to Phoebe for the "vote of yes please do post"!_

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O**

"Harry! It's good to see you!" Danny said as he welcomed their unexpected guest. "Don't tell me there's a mission ... or ?"

"No, no," Harry Langford replied, arms wide, looking every bit relaxed, laughing as Danny pulled him into a back-thumping hug. "I'm on holiday if you can believe that."

"Actually, I can't," Steve noted dryly as he dropped C.J.'s hand to similarly welcome the British agent into their house. "There has to be a catch; there's always a catch. Especially with MI-6 or whomever it is you're 'not officially engaged with' today."

"Nope no catch. Not this time," Harry said. "I'm officially off the clock for the next month." He paused looking quizzically from Steve to the little boy standing next to him, studying Steve even far more closely as he gently carded his fingers through the boy's hair. He looked at the boy again, noting the fingers which were now mired in Steve's belt loop. With a glance towards Danny, he dropped to a knee.

"Well now ... tell me? Who is this little man?" Harry asked as he crouched down to C.J.'s height. "You're not Charlie are you?" Where he might have expected to see Danny's son, Charlie, this new young face completely took him by surprise.

"No, not Charlie. He's in school and is about another hour or so out from getting home," Danny explained as he lounged back against the kitchen counter, intentionally offering nothing more.

"So, if this handsome young man isn't Charlie ... then, who is he? Hmm?" Harry asked kindly.

Steve fairly beamed as C.J. looked to him to be sure about this new person, but by the sunny expression on his son's face - yes, he could say that now even if he still needed to practice the word - said that _his son _liked Langford on sight. Steve nodded, giving C.J. an easy-going shaka sign which said their visitor was definitely one of the good guys.

"Well then," Harry coo'd Steve's way, instantly intrigued as he made a fast assumption. "What's this?" Eyebrows raised almost devilishly when he wasn't challenged, Harry caught Steve's doting expression. His next comments were sly as he glanced again Danny's way. "Dare I say, I hadn't known you had a _son_? And when did this happen old boy? Five, six years ago? That would place you ... _here_... but possibly still in Reserves ..."

"More like five or six months ago," Danny literally chortled in glee from behind him, intentionally adding another layer to Harry's growing assumptions.

"And he's ours ... not just _his_."

"_Ours_? Really? Months? Do tell," Langford drawled now, prodding for more information as he looked from one to the other. "A secret liaison? A captive lie? An erstwhile affair? Do you have the birth mother tucked away somewhere because, forgive me Daniel, but I hate to say it - he looks nothing like you."

Steve laughed out right at Danny's patient but sour expression.

"Nice one. Well, he sure as hell doesn't look like this Neanderthal!" Danny shot back good-naturedly. "He doesn't act like it yet either, but give it time. It's a constant battle of wills. Trust me. It never stops." He folded his arms, foot tapping away in mock belligerence.

"Now I really have to hear the whole, sordid tale," Harry laughed. "But you need to give me something because this is going to need telling over a nice bottle of a very good bourbon ...what's the abridged version?"

"A case gone sideways which then righted itself in the most amazing of ways," Steve explained, unable to hide the sheer volume of love in his voice. "A formal adoption is in the works."

"Adoption? That sounds like a happy surprise indeed," Harry smiled winningly Steve's way, eyebrows ever raised in ongoing delight. Still balanced in his crouch, he turned back to the little boy.

"I'm your new Uncle Harry," Langford said to C.J. "What's your name then?"

Steve waited, wanting C.J. to reason things out by himself without having an adult constantly stepping in. Even if he missed Harry's name, he certainly knew what had been asked of himself. To gently guide matters along though since Harry was in the dark about C.J.'s challenges, he slowly spelled out Harry's name on his fingers, adding the word '_uncle_'. By now, C.J. had a multitude of aunts and uncles on the island and one more hardly mattered - except of course, it did.

Steve was finding out rather quickly how much of a village it did take to raise a child even if Danny was all-in - hook, line and sinker - as C.J.''s other daddy, Danno. Everyone loved the kid and had a vested interest in his well-being; the sense of inclusiveness from his Hawaiian-born tutor and on across HPD, then to Kamekona and even to a few locals on the beach, was an astounding thing to behold.

"This is Harry ... call him Uncle Harry," Steve said as he spelled out each letter, bouncing his hand on the double 'r'. Then, he held his index and middle fingers side by side and moved his hand in small circles by his forehead. _'Uncle.'_

And god bless Harry, he caught it all out of the corner of his eye. His almost imperceptible nod of understanding when C.J. grinned and entirely relaxed was there as he tickled C.J.'s ribs, waiting patiently for the boy to reply on his own.

_'C.J.,' _came the answer as the boy shared the simple letters. But he added his full name for good measure which completely surprised Steve and Danny. _'Conor James. C.J.,'_he spelled out and then tapped his chest, grinning from ear to ear.

_'Me ... and you're Uncle Harry.'_He pointed to Harry and then moved his hand as Steve had done to say '_uncle_' and then very smoothly signed '_Harry_'.

"Little show off," Steve laughed, entirely pleased by C.J.'s quick acceptance of Harry Langford as friend and honorary uncle.

"It's very good to meet you," Harry said as he offered his hand for a quick shake. "C.J.," he added, copying the 'c; and 'j' easily enough. "Like this? Though I didn't quite get the rest of what you said."

"He was telling you what his initials stand for," Steve intervened gently. "Conor James ... C.J. for short."

"Very good! All right then and who's this? Tell me," Harry asked the boy as he pointed to Steve. "What do you call this big guy here? What's his name?"

Dimples showing, C.J. looked at Harry and followed his finger. Steve knew that C.J. understood the gist of Harry's question. Holding his hand out, fingers wide, he tapped his thumb to his forehead and Steve knew that he would never, ever get tired of seeing C.J. call him that.

'_Daddy_,' he signed before he held his hands out, asking to be picked up, which Steve readily did. When he was in Steve's arms, he tapped his own chest and then touched Steve's shoulder. _'Me ... my daddy.'_

He smiled back at Harry shyly now while wrapping his arms comfortably round Steve's neck when Harry's eyes grew wide at Steve's soft murmur of explanation.

"C.J. and his Daddy, indeed," Harry grinned cheerfully up at Steve. "And who's that?" He asked next. "Who's he?"

He pointed towards Danny and C.J.'s grin became a big smile. The boy nodded and then signed what Steve knew was Danny's name sign - a special sign which C.J. had intuitively contrived according to C.J.'s tutor.

"Da-no. It's the letters '_d_' and '_a_' with the finger sign for '_no_'," Danny explained proudly though there probably wasn't a need, since Harry was already chuckling softly to himself. Danny was beaming as much as Steve, their joint excitement, enthusiasm and joy were all definitely palpable.

"My, my. He's gotten you two all figured out hasn't he?" Harry gently teased as he looked at one, then the other.

"Nah. He's just a very smart little guy," Steve said as he pressed a kiss to the side of C.J.'s head. "Very smart ... and very brave ... and like Charlie, very much _ours_."

"And like Charlie, a very smart little chap that has you two completely wrapped around his finger," Harry commented again. "I'm going to demand that you boys tell me this entire story from start to finish; and I have all the time in the world," he happily added as he tipped an imaginary hat Steve's way. Danny was already chuckling in amusement as Harry finished speaking.

"In the meantime: cheers old man ... welcome to the club".

_**~ End. ~**_


End file.
